Voting-machine



(No Model.)

J. H; SCOTFORD.

VOTING MACHINE.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

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A TTOHNE YSA (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. J. SCOTFORD.

VOTING MACHINE.

No. 512,994. Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. SCOTFORD, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,994, dated January16, 1894. Application tiled April 2l, 1893. Serial No. 471,282. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SCOTFORD, of Portland, in the county ofMultnomah and State ofOregon, have invented a new and useful Improvementin VoteRegistering Maphines, of which the following is a specificaion.

This invention is an improved vote numbering, registering and indicatingdevice, the object of my invention being to provide a machine which willaccurately count and register each vote for each candidate so that whenthe polls are closed, the aggregate vote for each candidate will appearregistered in a definite manner thus obviating the necessity of countingthe vote.

The machine is intended to be used in connection with the system knownas the Australian system and will tend to give freedom and honesty tothe ballot.

With these objects in View my invention consists broadly of a cylinderadapted to carry a ballot, a contact wheel, a numbering and registeringdevice, an electric magnet for operating the same, and electricalconnections between the said magnet and cylinder, whereby when thecylinder is revolved with a ballot thereon the numbering and registeringdevice will be operated to count and print the vote.

My invention consists also in certain details of construction andcombination of parts all of which will be fully described and thenpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forminga part of this speciication, Figure lis aperspective view. Fig. 2 is aview illustrating the electricalconnections between the cylinder and registering device. Fig. 3 is anedge view of the registering and printing mechanism. Fig. 4 is an endview of the cylinder.. Fig. 5 is a view ofaportion of the ballot andFig. 6 a view of the switch board.

In constructing my improved machine I employ a suitable cabinet or frameA having an upper case a and a lower case a. Between these cases a and athe cabinet is open as shown and at said open portion is journaled acylinder B said cylinder being mounted upon a shaft 7) which isjonrnaled only at its right hand end. This cylinder B is ofnonconducting material such as gutta-percha or ebonite, andhas its outersurface covered by a series of longitudinal metallic strips b. A seriesof pins b2 passes through the strips b into the interior ot' thecylinder, said pins being arranged in spiral order as shown and for apurpose hereinafter explained. Above the cylinder B and contactingtherewith is a pressure roller C and at one end of said roller isarranged a metallic contact wheel C which is adapted to contact with themetallic strips b upon the surface ot the cylinder B. The inner ends ofthe pins b2 contact with the conductor wires c as shown in Fig. 2 saidwires being arranged in a switch board c2 (Fig. (i) located in thecylinder B, and the spiral arrangement of said pins gives ample room forsuch connections and prevents any entanglement. The contact wheel C isconnected with a conductor wire c' said wires being connected with abattery B thus making a complete electric circuit whenever the wheel Ccontacts with one of the metallic strips which is in connection with oneof the wires c.

D indicates the ballot which consists ot' a strip of paper with thenames of the candi dates printed thereon, the names being spaced withreference to the metallic strips o so that when the ballot is placedupon the cylinder each name will rest upon a certain one of thesestrips. Two holes CZ (Z are punched in the top of the ballot, by meansof which it is fastened to the cylinder, said holes fitting over twopins d d attached to the cylinder.

In preparing the ballot for voting, the voter punches a hole E oppositethe name of each candidate he wishes to vote for. Those candidates hedoes not wish to vote forhe leaves the paper opposite the naineuntouched. The ballot thus prepared issecured upon the cylinder and thecylinder revolved. As it revolves the contact Wheel C will contact witha metallic strip b Wherever there is a perforation E thus closing theelectric circuit. Connected with each conductor wire c is an independentnumbering and registering deviceF and these devices F are markedaccording to the strip b with which they are connected so that it onecandidates name, John Doe, is

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printed to contact with one particular strip the device F connected withsaid .strip will bear the name of John Doe also so that every vote castfor each candidate will be counted. The numbering and registering deviceconslsts ofan electric magnet f, the armature f of Whlch is connectedwith the escapemen-tllever of aspring clock mechanism f 2 which drives anumbering wheelfs, said numbering wheel belngof theusualconstruction.Thenumbering Wheel f 3 contacts with an ink ribbon f 4, and` the sametrain of gearing that drives thewheel, f4 also drives the spoolf5carrying a narrow' stripof paper f6, upon which is printed thevotecounted upon the wheel f3, a printing harnmer f7 being connected withthe armature of -thelllrlagnet for this purposeso thatafter the :Wheelj'`hasbeen operated by closing thecirfcuit, the .halninenwill press thepapery against the wheel `when the circuit is broken, thus printing`,the .number upon the -paperstrip .G-indicates alguidevfor yholding thepaper ballot uponthe cylinder and H indicates a: strlpper kwhich .stripsthe :ballot from the ,cyli.ndel'gand vguides itinto theglovvercase,-W.here vthey ymay lbe ,counted ifgso desired, after the ,t lpolls-havcclosedfor the ypurpose of verifying t the registering device.

T-he upper case is provided ywith a .glass door through which can Kloeseen the variousl votesfor the `diierent candidates. A

,Having th'us described myin-vention, what lclaim -asnew, anddesiretosecure by Letters Patent, Ais` l. Ina device of vthe characterdescribed,` the combination witha cylinder andcontact .wheel ofthe.batteryand circuit and .the comblnednum'beringand registering device.ar-'

ranged within said circuit and operated by the opening and closing of:said circuity substantially as described.

2. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with acylinder having a series of metallic strips of a contact Wheel,conductor wiresconnectedwith the cylinder and wheel, the battery andnumbering, registering and printing devices arranged in the circuitsubstantially as shown and described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with acylinder having a series of metallic strips,`the pins passing into theinterior lof lthe cylinder, the conductor Wires arranged in a switchboard to contact with said pinsan d l.the .contact ivvheel, conductorWires and zbattery fall `arranged -substantiallyas shown anddescribed.

4. In adevice `of the character described,

thefcom-bination with an electriccircuit-and magnet of an escapementleverfconnected with the armature and a clock mechanism, ,the numberwheel, paper strips .and .printing ,ham-meral1.arrangedsubstantiallyasshown and described.

,5. IV-n La ldevice of :the vcharacter vdescribed .the combination withla cylinder oftwo studs secured therein and adapted vto tholdfthe .bal-

lot, la curved kguide-plate located above the cylinder and adj acentgtheretojtofholdthe:bal-

i lot down, and a curved .stripping plate v.ar-

ranged kbeneath the ,-cylindexitostrip :the fbal# lot from thecylinder.substantiallyas 1 shown -rotin 151. .,scorfnenfo.

,andvdescribed Aviitnesses: y

0. 1i. BROWN, .CHAs E. WILBER.

